Indicating dispenser



Feb. 19, 1963 A. SAFIANOFF INDICATING DISPENSER Filed Nov. 12, 1959 Etinited E tates Fire 3,678,911 INDICATING EESENER Albert Safianolf, Chicago, Ell, assignor to The Gillette Company, Boston, Mass, acorporation of Delaware Fiied Nov. 12, 1959, Ser. No. 852,346 3 Claims. (or. 222-41) This invention relates to a dispenser for dispensing fluid or paste-like materials and pertains more specifically to such a dispenser provided with an indicator visible externally of the device for showing the quantity of material still remaining to be dispensed.

Que object of the present invention is to provide a dispenser having a receptacle for holding material to be dispensed and a plunger mounted within the receptacle actuated by a threaded shaft and having an indicator presenting an external indication of the proportion of the original contents of the receptacle still remaining to be dispensed.

Another object is to provide a dispenser of the type described in which all of the moving parts accessible from outside of the dispenser are mounted for rotative movement only, so that the over-all dimensions of the dispenser do not change during operation.

Still a further object is to provide a dispenser of the type described in which the indicator provides externally visible evidence of the position of the plunger within the receptacle.

Other and further objects will be apparent from the drawing and from the description which follows.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of one embodiment of the invention with the cover separated from the main portion of the device;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the plunger and its associated control means;

FIG. 3 is a view in cross section taken along line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view in vertical section taken along line 44 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a view in elevation, partly broken away showing the relationship of the several parts of the device.

The embodiment of the dispenser illustrated in the drawings includes a receptacle it? of generally triangular cross-sectional configuration adapted to contain the material to be dispensed, which is usually in the form of a paste or cream. The upper end of receptacle it? is closed by a separate top member 11 having an outlet for the material to be dispensed in the form of a plurality of small apertures 12, 12;. Top member 11 is cemented or otherwise secured in position on the upper end of receptacle it after the receptacle has been filled. A removable cap or closure 14 of the same cross-sectional configuration as receptacle it) is provided to fit over the top member 11 and seat upon a shoulder 16 provided in the outer wall of receptacle 10. Within the receptacle is provided a plunger 1% having a flexible, resilient, upstanding flange 2i) extending around its periphery and seating closely against the inner face of the wall of receptacle ll Plunger 18 is provided with an internally threaded collar 22 extending from an aperture adjacent its midportion into which is screwed a threaded shaft 24. The lower end of shaft 24 is provided with a knob 26, one portion of the periphery of which extends laterally through a slot opening the lower portion of the front wall of receptacle it). The bottom of knob 26 is provided with a centrally disposed recess which seats upon and receives an upstanding boss 28 formed integrally with the bottom of receptacle it), thus providing a thrust bearing for the shaft 24- and knob 26. The periphery of knob 26 is preferably provided with knurling or ribs to facilitate engagement of its exposed portion by a finger of the user in order to rotate the knob and shaft.

A recess 32 is provided in thewall of receptacle 10, within which an indicator dial or disk 34' is mounted for rotation on a stub shaft 36 which is secured to the bottom of recess 32. Indicator 34 carries on its face an indicium 38 which is visible externally of the device, while appropriate symbols to indicate full and empty positions appear on the outer face of the wall adjacent the margin of recess 32.

Indicator 34 carries secured to its rear face a ratchet wheel 40 which may be formed integrally with indicator 34'. The number of teeth on the periphery of the ratchet is preferably approximately equal to the number of revolutions of shaft 24 required to move plunger 18 from its lowermost initial position in which the receptacle is full of the material to be dispensed to its uppermost final position in which it is incapable of forcing any more ma terial through the outlet; i.e., in which the receptacle is effectively empty.

Ratchet wheel 40 together with indicator 34 is mounted so that its periphery is closely adjacent the face of knob 26 and a pawl or stud 4-2 is secured to knob 26 in position to engage a tooth of ratchet 40 at each complete revolution of knob 26. When pawl 42, moving to the left as seen in FIG. 5, engages a tooth of ratchet 40, indicator 34 is caused to rotate a small fraction of a revolution in a clockwise direction. As pawl 42. passes beyond ratchet 4i and out of engagement with the tooth, the indicator remains in its new position until the next successive tooth is engaged by pawl 42 on the next revolution of knob 26.

In assembling the device, the plunger 18 is first threaded on shaft 24 and moved to its lowermost position adjacent knob 26. This assembly is then inserted into receptacle 1%) through its open upper end in a tilted position, and the margin of knob 26 is urged laterally through the opening in the side Wall of the receptacle until the knob seats on boss 28. The material to be dispensed is then loaded into the receptacle above plunger 18, top member 11 is cemented in place, and the device is ready for use.

In use, the margin of knob 26 is moved to the left as seen in FIG. 5, urging plunger 18 upwardly and causing the material to be dispensed through outlet apertures 12. Indicator 34 rotates in a clockwise direction as seen from outside the device, moving indicium 38 from the lower lefthand position Where it indicates a full receptacle to the lower right-hand position where it indicates an empty receptacle.

The several parts of the device of the present invention may readily be fabricated from synthetic plastic material by conventional molding operations and can be assembled with a minimum of labor. Shaft 24, knob 26 and pawl 42 may be formed as an integral one-piece unit, as may also indicator 34 and ratchet 41' while shaft 36 may be integral with housing 10 so that the device consists of only six individual parts. Indicator 34 and ratchet wheel 40 are preferably a squeeze fit on shaft 36 to prevent rotation of these elements except when pawl 42 is in engagement with ratchet 40.

Although specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein, it is not intended to limit the invention solely thereto, but to include all of the obvious variations and modifications within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a dispenser comprising a receptacle for holding the material to be dispensed and having a dispensing outlet adjacent one end, a plunger mounted for sliding movement in said receptacle, a control member including a rotatable shaft threadedly engaging said plunger and means for rotating said shaft to advance said plunger toward said outlet, the improvement which comprises a r0- tating indicator visible externally of said receptacle for indicating the total extent of travel of said plunger toward said outlet, and drive means coupling said indicator to said control member arranged to rotate said indicator a maximum of one revolution during the full extent of travel of said plunger from end to end of said receptacle, said indicator being positioned in a recess in a wall of said receptacle and comprising a disc having an indicinm on its face.

2. In a dispenser comprising a receptacle for holding the material to be dispensed and having a dispensing outlet adjacent one end, a plunger mounted for sliding movement in said receptacle, a control member including a rotatable shaft threadedly engaging said plunger and knob means for rotating said shaft to advance said plunger toward said outlet, the improvement which comprises a rotating indicator visible externally of said receptacle for indicating the total extent of travel of said plunger toward said outlet, and drive means coupling said indicator to said control member arranged to rotate said indicator a maximum of one revolution during the full extent of travel of said plunger from end to end of said receptacle, said drive means having a ratchet wheel mounted for rotation with said indicator and a pawl fixed to said knob in position to engage and advance said ratchet upon each revolution of said knob.

3. In a dispenser comprising a receptacle for holding the material to be dispensed and having a dispensing outlet adjacent one end, a plunger mounted for sliding movement in said receptacle, a control member including a rotatable shaft threadedly engaging said plunger and means for rotating said shaft to advance said plunger, the improvement which comprises an indicating counter mounted on said receptacle and visible externally thereof, and means coupling said counter and said control member to provide an indication of the total number of revolutions including those in addition to the first revolution made by said shaft at all positions of said plunger as it advances from its initial position in said receptacle toward the opposite end, said counter including an indicator mounted for rotation and a ratchet wheel mounted for rotation with said indicator, the number of teeth on the periphery of said ratchet being approximately equal to the number of rotations of said shaft required to advance said plunger from its initial position in which said receptacle is 'full of said material to its final position in which said material has been dispensed, said coupling means including a pawl secured to said control member responsive to rotation of said shaft in position to engage and advance each successive tooth of said ratchet once during each revolution of said shaft to rotate said indicator from a first position indicating a full receptacle to a second position indicating an empty receptacle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 974,915 Pnderbaugh Nov. 8, 1910 1,429,255 Ring Sept. 19, 1922 1,818,225 Kiener Aug. ll, 1931 FOREIGN PATENTS 442,993 Germany Nov. 4, 1925 

1. IN A DISPENSER COMPRISING A RECEPTACLE FOR HOLDING THE MATERIAL TO BE DISPENSED AND HAVING A DISPENSING OUTLET ADJACENT ONE END, A PLUNGER MOUNTED FOR SLIDING MOVEMENT IN SAID RECEPTACLE, A CONTROL MEMBER INCLUDING A ROTATABLE SHAFT THREADEDLY ENGAGING SAID PLUNGER AND MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID SHAFT TO ADVANCE SAID PLUNGER TOWARD SAID OUTLET, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES A ROTATING INDICATOR VISIBLE EXTERNALLY OF SAID RECEPTACLE FOR INDICATING THE TOTAL EXTENT OF TRAVEL OF SAID PLUNGER TOWARD SAID OUTLET, AND DRIVE MEANS COUPLING SAID INDICATOR TO SAID CONTROL MEMBER ARRANGED TO ROTATE SAID INDICATOR A MAXIMUM OF ONE REVOLUTION DURING THE FULL EXTENT OF TRAVEL OF SAID PLUNGER FROM END TO END OF SAID RECEPTACLE, SAID INDICATOR BEING POSITIONED IN A RECESS IN A WALL OF SAID RECEPTACLE AND COMPRISING A DISC HAVING AN INDICIUM ON ITS FACE. 